Extensible keet construction



Nov. 12, 1963 L. P. BUCK 3,llo,28l

ExTENSBLE KEEL CONSTRUCTION F11ed May 14, 1962 

1. IN COMBINATION WITH A FLOATABLE HULL HAVING A SEPARATE KEEL DISPOSED THEREBENEATH, AND INTERMEDIATE CONNECTING MEANS FOR VERTICALLY RAISING AND LOWERING THE KEEL TOWARD AND AWAY FROM THE HULL WHEN THE LATTER IS AFLOAT: A FLEXIBLE AND LONGITUDINALLY FOLDABLE, ENCIRCLING WALL MUTUALLY CONNECTING THE HULL AND KEEL, FORMING A CLOSED CHAMBER THEREBETWEEN, AND PRESENTING AN EXTERNAL STREAMLINED SURFACE (WHEN THE KEEL IS LOWERED) TO A BODY OF WATER WHICH FLOATS THE HULL, SAID CHAMBER HAVING APERTURE AND CLOSURE MEANS ADAPTED FOR SELECTIVE RECEPTION, RETENTION AND EXPULSION OF CHAMBER-FILLING FLUID, WHEREBY THE THUS-INFLATED CHAMBER MAY HAVE ITS FLEXIBLE WALL DISPOSED SUBSTANTIALLY RIGID AGAINST THE PRESSURE OF EXTERNAL WATER WHICH FLOATS SAID HULL. 